Old Snifter
Corkscrew
c.1935 (made)
c.1935 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This corkscrew, made in the USA in around 1935 most likely depicts ‘Mr Dry’ a character created by the political cartoonist Rollin Kirby.
‘Mr Dry’ appeared as a newspaper cartoon from 1920, at the start of the Prohibition era in the United States. Prohibition enforced a ban on the manufacture, transport and sale of alcohol from 1920 to 1933. Rollin Kirby satirised Prohibitionist supporters by creating ‘Mr Dry’, a sour old man, with a top hat, umbrella and old fashioned overcoat. Kirby went on to win the Pulitzer prize for his work in editorial cartooning.
On this corkscrew 'Mr Dry' is shown with a grimace on his face and gaunt facial features, clasping an umbrella. The worm, which unscrews the cork, is concealed in a slot at the back of the fixture and is operated by turning the head to the right.
‘Mr Dry’ appeared as a newspaper cartoon from 1920, at the start of the Prohibition era in the United States. Prohibition enforced a ban on the manufacture, transport and sale of alcohol from 1920 to 1933. Rollin Kirby satirised Prohibitionist supporters by creating ‘Mr Dry’, a sour old man, with a top hat, umbrella and old fashioned overcoat. Kirby went on to win the Pulitzer prize for his work in editorial cartooning.
On this corkscrew 'Mr Dry' is shown with a grimace on his face and gaunt facial features, clasping an umbrella. The worm, which unscrews the cork, is concealed in a slot at the back of the fixture and is operated by turning the head to the right.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Old Snifter (manufacturer's title) |
| Materials and techniques | Base-metal alloy plated with chrome |
| Brief description | Cork screw, inscribed 'Old Snifter' and depicting 'Mr Dry’ a Prohibitionist character created by cartoonist Rollin Kirby, base-metal alloy, plated with chrome. United States, c.1935 |
| Physical description | In the form of a man dressed in overcoat boots and top hat leaning on an umbrella, with gaunt facial features; set on a flat base. The worm is concealed in a slot at the back of the fixture and is operated by turning the head to the right. The figure represented is 'Mr Dry' a character created by political cartoonist Rollin Kirby |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Credit line | G. Giachin Bequest |
| Production | The Old Snifter version with the turning head was patented by John Schuchardt (US Patent 2,010,326) in 1935. Earlier examples look similar without the turning head and were advertised as early as 1928. |
| Summary | This corkscrew, made in the USA in around 1935 most likely depicts ‘Mr Dry’ a character created by the political cartoonist Rollin Kirby. ‘Mr Dry’ appeared as a newspaper cartoon from 1920, at the start of the Prohibition era in the United States. Prohibition enforced a ban on the manufacture, transport and sale of alcohol from 1920 to 1933. Rollin Kirby satirised Prohibitionist supporters by creating ‘Mr Dry’, a sour old man, with a top hat, umbrella and old fashioned overcoat. Kirby went on to win the Pulitzer prize for his work in editorial cartooning. On this corkscrew 'Mr Dry' is shown with a grimace on his face and gaunt facial features, clasping an umbrella. The worm, which unscrews the cork, is concealed in a slot at the back of the fixture and is operated by turning the head to the right. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | M.108-1993 |
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| Record created | June 24, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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